Arcane (Regulus Black)

three

November 1975

Months went by, my parents stopped talking to me, Regulus did not either. I avoided him and the rest of them. I mainly spent most of my time with Taylor or Sirius and the rest of his friends. Mainly in the library with Remus because I could not keep up with James and Sirius troubles. Peter, bless him he's a great friend but he's just following James wherever he goes.
Sirius, he remained the same, he was much more reckless and careless in an attempt to prove to his parents how much he no longer cared that he was kicked out by his family. He had become even more carless in what people thought of him too. He longer cared about expectations. Constantly sleeping around, making false promises too. He left Remus and I to deal with it, James would participate only when he was not busy trying to please Lily or training for Quidditch. He did not even study despite having the full capability of exceeding expectations like James does. He did not even take care of himself; he was always flirting or had his lips moulded with some girl in every corridor or the Common room. Sirius always waited for me though.

He and his friends, James, Lily, Remus, and Peter joined Taylor and I every day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and just before bed; we all sat together in the Common Room. Lily, Remus, and I would come along to watch Sirius, James, and Marlene play quidditch and celebrate countless Gryffindor victories. Lily and Remus would be in the library studying for OWLS, alongside James. Taylor and I would follow too. Sirius would only join occasionally.

We all returned early to prepare for Sirius's birthday party. Remus, James, Peter, Lily, Marlene and I, Mary even too.

By ten o'clock the Gryffindor common room was heaving, awash in dazzling red and gold, full of chatter and laughter. This is what a real party was like. I learnt after a few weeks how grateful I was for being sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin. Sirius was having the time of his life, on his third or fourth whisky whilst being surrounded by girls. Mary leaned against the wall, her arms folded as she glared at him, dancing with them.

"Take a look" Remus said as he came and stood next to me, his eyes pointed towards the girls. I rolled my eyes and took his drink but then instantly regretted it.

"Fuck Remus" I scrunched my lips in disgust, "what the hell are you drinking?"

"I'm not quite sure. I just asked for the strongest." he shrugged.

"I thought you didn't drink?"

He shrugged, "it's a special occasion" he replied and we both looked back at Sirius and his group of girls.

Sirius had been by my side since the first year incident with Regulus. Since then, there were many more situations of the sort, but I knew how to manage it. I would catch Sirius, in the common room too sometimes at night, with a letter in his hand and his eyes bloodstained red. Sometimes he would find me like that. He became my rock to lean on, I became his.

"God, could you get any more perfect." he blushed and looked down, "I don't get it. He has the full potential but still chooses to act so reckless when his best friend is literally you."

He turned to look at me, raised his eyebrow and then took a sip of his drink. Remus was right. The girls were dressed differently for this year's party- their skirts had gotten shorter, with more makeup and the colours...were to say the least... authentic.

Mary stood there sulking with her arms folded, until Marlene whispered something in her ear that made her take a shot of fire whisky and walk straight through the crowd of girls that were circling Sirius. I had to give her credit though. She looked utterly stunning in her red halter crop top and checked trousers that accentuated her curves. Lily looked gorgeous too while James was enjoying every pleasure of that as she made subtle glances towards him. They were in love, deeply in love. I did not believe love like that actually existed.